Taking Over, in which Hoch sets his sights on the gentrification of New York, opens at the Public following a free "all city" tour that was part of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival earlier this fall. Performances Off-Broadway began Nov. 7. Tony Taccone directs the 90-minute work, performed without an intermission, that will run through Dec. 14.
Press notes for Taking Over state, "Blazing through a fierce spectrum of New Yorkers, Hoch gives voice to everyone from the developers evicting locals to make way for lofts, to the bar-hopping career hipsters who buy them, and those left in the wake of both. True to Hoch's signature style, Taking Over is a raw, explosive, hilarious and heartbreaking study of the impact of our obsession with economic expansion."
The creative team includes costume and scenic designer Annie Smart, lighting and projection designer Alex Nichols and sound designer Walter Trarbach.
For tickets visit PublicTheater.
The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan.
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Hoch is the founder of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, now in its eighth year, which continues annually nationwide and has seen his Obie-winning Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop adapted for film.
In addition to his stage work, Hoch's HBO special "Some People" earned him a Cable Ace Award. Hoch has also appeared in the films "Bamboozled," "Subway Stories," "Thin Red Line," "Blackhawk Down," "American Splendor," "War of The Worlds" and the upcoming "Lucky You" and "We Own The Night." Hoch is currently writing a full length hip-hop musical entitled A Word Is Born.
